Kickstarter

The company launched its website on April 29, 2009, from a small office in Brooklyn. Founders Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler built the platform as an alternative to traditional funding models that often required venture capital or bank loans. Their goal was simple: let creators raise capital directly from a global community for specific ideas.

As a Public Benefit Corporation, the entity operates under a legal mandate to balance profit with social and environmental goals. This structure distinguishes it from purely profit-driven companies and aligns its incentives with the success of the creative community it serves.

The platform functions as a marketplace where creators set funding goals and deadlines. If a project meets its target, funds transfer to the creator; if not, no money changes hands. This all-or-nothing model has become the industry standard for reward-based crowdfunding. [edit]